I remember my first Christmas having to put toys together without my husband around. Before, I had actually laughed as I heard the mutterings, swearing, and other non-repeatable verbiage coming from the living room during the late hours of the nights before Christmas. Now it was my turn. The laughter stopped. In a moment of panic, but still smart enough to recognize the fact that I was out of my element, I called my son’s babysitter, a wonderful lad of seventeen who volunteered to put the toys together for me. Unfortunately, schedules conflicted and a few days before Christmas, I am sitting on the living room floor alone swearing that girls had to be much easier on parents than boys. After all, even with equal opportunity, boys still like Matchbox toys and girls love Barbie. My doorbell rang and it was my sitter’s father. The wonderful man heard the desperation in my voice when I called and figured I needed help. Hours later, we are still struggling with small pieces and plastic chrome. He turned and looked at me with a rueful smile and stated that if I had been truly smart I would have had a girl instead of a boy. After all, girls liked Barbie. This man, the father of four boys, finished up my son’s toys and announced that my husband and me would owe him a lifetime of homage and servitude for finishing the task of toy construction. The one thing that really stands out about those toys are the incredibly small parts used to make the little tanks and bunkers. While the toy is fun for the eight year old it is a choking hazard for a two year old. Toys should be a source of learning and fun, not tragedy. Too often, toys that are poorly designed, too advanced for the child, used incorrectly, or in bad repair lead to serious, even fatal injuries. More than 100,000 toy-related injuries in 1996 played a part in the deaths of children age 14 and under. While planning your Christmas or even birthday shopping for the children in your family, you might want to consider the safety of all the children in your household.

Here are some tips to make your toy shopping easier and safer for the family.

Buy Smart

Keep these toy-safe suggestions in mind when shopping:

• Consider the child's interest and skill level

• Look for quality in design and construction

• Be a label reader. Look for and heed age recommendations, such as "Not recommended for children under the age of three." Look for other safety labels, including "Flame retardant/flame resistant" on fabric products and "Washable/hygienic materials" on stuffed toys and dolls.

* Use the "small child/large toy" guideline for buying: The smaller the child, the larger toy should be.

• Make sure that all directions or instructions are clear to you and, when appropriate, to the child.

• Avoid toys with small, removable parts, especially for children under the age of 3.

• Check dolls' and stuffed animals' faces for eyes and other features that come off easily.

• Buy toys with smooth surfaces and without sharp edges. Sharpened toys may enable a child to unintentionally cut herself and another person.

• Avoid toys that produce loud noise, such as caps or toy guns. They may permanently damage a child's hearing.

• Avoid toys with darts or projectiles. If you buy one of these toys, make sure it has soft, nonremovable ends to prevent eye injury.

• Make sure small parts of larger toys are secure and cannot break off.

• Avoid toys with large strings and cords, especially for infants and young children.

• Choose electric toys only for children 8 years old and older.

• Never buy a tricycle or bicycle without purchasing a helmet as well (unless the child already owns a helmet that fits properly).

Use and maintain safety

Children love to play creatively, and toys may take a beating in the process.

• Throw away all toy packaging such as plastic, cellophane and Styrofoam.

• Inspect toys periodically for breakage and potential hazards. A damage or dangerous toy should be thrown away or repaired immediately.

• Make sure batteries in toys are properly installed.

• If your child is on a riding toy, keep them away from stairs, porches, cars and pools.

• Don't leave indoor toys outside; bad weather can damage them.

• Examine outdoor toys regularly for rust or weak parts that could become hazardous.

• Sand the edges of toys that might have become sharp or covered with splinters.

• Teach children to put their toys safely away on shelves or in a toy chest to avoid trips and falls.

• Check toy boxes for safety. Use a toy box with a lid that stays open in any position, so that will not fall on a child. For extra safety, be sure there are ventilation holes in the chest.

• Make sure older children store their toys out of reach of younger children.

Creator- Wanda Walters
Email: walterswm@mcsc.usmc.mil

Graphics:Kurt Davis
Email: kdavis@nassig.sicliy.navy.mil

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